


By The Book

by Percabethatw



Category: Original Work
Genre: Ashton's gay, College, Emerson's bi, Multi, Romeo and Juliet References, She's in Romeo and Juliet, it's a good time
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-17
Updated: 2015-05-25
Packaged: 2018-03-23 10:18:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3764413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Percabethatw/pseuds/Percabethatw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again."</p><p>"You kiss by the book."</p><p>It starts in a coffee shop.</p><p>Rating may change.</p><p>Co-writing with my friend, Kennedy! She's kennedymarie1d on Wattpad</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This is an original work I'm writing with my friend, Kennedy. She's writing the odd chapters, I'm writing the even ones. Enjoy!

**Ashton’s P.O.V.**

The ring tone blaring from my cell phone provides me with a rude awakening way earlier than the time my alarm goes off, and making matters worse is my roommate’s shrill voice yelling at me to “turn that fucking thing off”. I throw the blankets off of me with a groan and grab the phone off my desk, seeing Adam’s name on the caller ID. “Hello?” I say, rubbing my sleepy eyes with the back of my hand.

“Hey, Ash, could you, um, come get me?” His voice is a little shaky, but luckily he doesn’t sound drunk.

“Of course,” I tell him, not even asking why. It’s never mattered why he needs me, just that he does and I’m there as soon as possible. “Where are you?”

“I’m outside of Beth’s place.”

“I’m on my way.”

I hang up the phone and toss it on my bed, removing my cotton shorts as I walk towards the wardrobe. I change into a pair of jeans and almost trip in the darkness while struggling to pull on a pair of Keds. I don’t bother changing my t-shirt before slipping on a zip-up hoodie and making my way through the dark halls of the dormitory. 

When I’ve started my car and the display lights up, I really notice for the first time how late it is. Three a.m., four hours before my alarm should be going off and six hours before my Latin class starts. Not the ideal time to be picking someone up from their girlfriend’s place, but for Adam, I won’t complain. I know he’d do the same for me in a heartbeat.

The drive to Beth’s apartment isn’t a very long one, but driving in the dark makes me nervous, so it’s filled with some anxiety. I’ve been to this building quite a few times before, always to pick Adam up. He’s only been with Beth for a month, but it seems like I’m picking him up from here at least three times a week.

Adam’s standing in front of the door when I pull into the small parking lot. I unlock the doors and he climbs in, letting go a sigh that sounds like a mix of exhaustion and exasperation. I open my mouth to ask him what happened, but he beats me to the punch. “We broke up.”

The words are devoid of emotion, but I know that he’s probably more upset than he’s letting on. I stay quiet and wait for him to tell me the full story.  
“I’m not really sure what happened- things kind of blew out of proportion- but there’s a zero percent chance of us getting back together. It ended with her calling me a selfish prick and telling me to get the fuck out of her apartment and her life.”

“That’s harsh,” I say, taking one hand of the wheel and grabbing one of his. I squeeze his hand gently and he gives me a sad smile.

“I probably deserved it, honestly. I’m a shitty boyfriend.”

“No, you’re not,” I reassure him. “Any girl would be lucky to have you.”

“Then you date me,” he says, feigning seriousness. We both laugh and I say, “There are so many problems with that statement.”

“I know, I know,” he says. He becomes serious again, saying, “Really, though, I was a shitty boyfriend. You know what she said to me? She said that I was only around long enough to fuck her and then I was ‘emotionally unavailable’ every other time she wanted me. And you know what? She’s completely right. I am emotionally unavailable.”

My thumb rubs slow circles into the back of his hand, but I know it’s probably not doing much to comfort him. “Do you want to stop to get some breakfast or something?” I offer, hoping that being able to talk it over some more over food will help him. 

“Yeah, sure.”

The drive to the diner is mostly silent except for the radio playing in the background. Adam switches it to some rock station that I never listen to except for when I’m with him, and he quietly hums along to the music. 

I think about Beth’s ‘emotionally unavailable’ comment as I drive through the dimly lit streets. I’ve never thought about Adam that way. I mean, he’s always seemed to be a guy that’s willing to put himself out there for a girl if he loves her, but maybe I’m wrong. Maybe I’ve known him for ten years but still don’t fully know every aspect about him. I thought I did, but I also thought that things were going great for him and Beth. They might have been great when he told me they were, and things just recently went sour. I don’t know, but that’s what I’ll find out at the diner. Part of me feels like a shitty best friend for not knowing already what was going on.

When we get to the diner, Adam gets out of the car quickly, slamming the door and startling me. I follow him inside and we take a booth in the back away from the windows. There’s not a single person in here besides us and the few workers. This must be the most boring shift for them.

The waitress comes over the second Adam and I sit down to take our drink orders. We both order coffee, knowing that neither one of us has a high chance of getting sleep any time soon. After we leave here, I know I’ll be wide awake with or without the coffee.

“So,” I say as soon as the waitress leaves, “tell me what happened from the start.”

“Well it started on a Wednesday in late August,” he starts sarcastically. I glare at him and he gets more serious. Well, as serious as Adam can get. “After her last class, we went back to her apartment and made dinner. Everything was fine- she was smiling and laughing and everything like that. But we were watching a movie on the couch after, you know, and all the sudden she asked what she was to me and it threw me off, you know? I mean, I thought we were on the same page with that kind of shit from the beginning. So, I told her that she was my girlfriend and she was like ‘no, I meant are we a serious thing’. I didn’t really know what to say, you know? We’ve been together for only three weeks and I’m no where near ready to be serious with her. So that’s what I told her and she got all angry and started saying that she’s not just this girl that I can fuck and leave or whatever.”

He pauses when the waitress comes back with our coffee, but continues when she leaves again. “I told her that just because we weren’t serious, doesn’t mean that’s what I thought, but she just kept saying all this shit about how she wanted more from me. I tried to calm her down because, you know, this was our first fight for fuck’s sake and she was talking crazy. Then she threw the emotionally unavailable thing at me and that was pretty much the end of it. She’s not right, is she? I’m not unavailable like that, right? I don’t feel like I am, but should I have been getting serious after only three weeks? Yeah, we were fucking and all that, and I spent the night a few times, but that doesn’t mean I should be ready to be ‘serious’ or whatever, right?”

“Hell no,” I scoff, dumping a few of the little containers of half-and-half into my coffee. I take a sip of it, but it’s still too strong for my liking. I open another as I say, “It’s been three weeks. You don’t get ‘serious’ after just three weeks. Honestly Adam, you’ve probably dodged a major bullet with her. She’s clearly overly attached already if she thinks you’re supposed to be doing anything other than what you guys were doing at this point. You were probably already farther along in the relationship than most couples that have been together for three weeks. That’s just not realistic to expect anything more.”

“And you are definitely the expert on realistic,” he says jokingly. I kick him gently under the table and he pretends to be actually injured. I would not say that I am the ‘expert’, but I would like to think that I have a pretty mature view on love. I don’t expect love at first sight anymore or even finding ‘the one’ in the traditional sense. I think love is a strong force that shouldn’t be fucked with, but it’s definitely not the only thing that matters in a relationship. There are things equally, if not more, important. Adam has a tendency to fight me on that belief every time I bring it up, but I still think I’m right.

“You’re not emotionally available, alright? You’re basically the farthest thing from it. I really meant what I said earlier about how any girl would be lucky to have you.”

“And I really meant what I said about you dating me then,” he says with a flirty wink.

I roll my eyes at him and he laughs. I’ve always found it weird but always strangely enduring when he makes comments like. It’s impossible that I would ever date him, and not just because he’s been my best friend for  
so long. It’s not him I don’t like, just the anatomy in his pants. It’s ironic flirting, he calls it, because neither one of us are attracted to the other. 

“Shut up.”

The waitress comes back to take our orders, and even though neither one of us has so much as glanced at the menu, we’re ready to order. This diner and the coffee shop down the street receive frequent visits from the two of us. So many visits, in fact, that a lot of the workers know our orders without us having to say a word. But, that was mostly freshmen year. New workers have come and they lack the knowledge that Adam always orders a burger for breakfast from here and I always order blueberry pancakes no matter what time of day it is. For some reason, that change saddens me a little. A lot of changes sadden me, though. Adam likes to say that’s because of my father and what happened to him, but I like to avoid blaming my father for anything.

“So, anything exciting I need to be caught up on?” he asks when the waitress leaves again. 

“We saw each other right before you went to Beth’s,” I remind him, taking a long drink from my coffee mug. It’s still a little too strong for my taste, but I don’t add any more half-and-half.

“I know,” he says with a shrug, “but a lot can happen in a few hours. A lot did happen in a few hours for me, anyway.”

“Well, when I got back to my dorm after class and Kate and Brad were there.”

“Of course,” Adam interjects.

“And they were fucking.”

Adam makes a face, though this is not the first time this has happened. He’s seen it himself a couple times on accident. I’ve asked Kate a million times to do the cliched action of leaving a sock on the door to warn me but she refuses to. She says that everyone would know they were having sex and that would be damaging to her reputation. I always bite my tongue to avoid reminding her that she already has a reputation as a whore and a sock on a door handle wouldn’t change that.

“Gross,” Adam says, and I nod in agreement. “And they never even stop when someone walks in, either. Like, who the hell does that? Absolutely no damn shame.”

“None at all.”

“Ashton,” he says, pointing the spoon he used to stir his coffee at me to emphasize his words, “you need to promise me that when you get a girlfriend, and I walk in on the two of you fucking, you will at the very least wait until I can get out to continue, alright?”

I laugh, but not because of the promise he’s jokingly asking me to make, but because of the sheer improbability that I will have a girlfriend in the near future that he could even walk in on me fucking. I just don’t see a girl in my cards right now.


	2. II

**Emerson's P.O.V.**

"Yo, Em!"

I grin. "What up, Cass?"

My greeting seems to fall on deaf ears as my clearly drunk roommate embraces me in a sloppy hug, but that's understandable. If there's one thing theater kids love, it's pounding bass.

"Yo, Em!" She says again, not-so-whispering in my ear. "What took you so long?"

I chuckle, gently prying her off of me. "Rob made me close up shop tonight! I just got off!"

By some miracle she seems to hear me. "Oh! Well, come dance with me!"

"Cass-" She cuts off my protest by pulling me into the living room of the Phi Delta Theta house. Before I know it, we're in the middle of the crowd, much to my chagrin.

"Cass!" I shout, trying to get my roomie's attention. She doesn't hear me. Or she's ignoring me. Either way, she doesn't acknowledge that I've spoken, continuing to grind on me.  _Oh, geez_. "Cassandra!"

She stops immediately, popping up to glare at me. "Did you just full name me?!"

I roll my eyes. "Why are we in a frat house? Don't we usually have cast parties in the theater basement?"

"Yeah!" She shrugs, still shouting over the music. "But Brent got the part of Romeo, remember? And he's a brother of Phi Delta Theta or whatever, so they said we could party here while they're all over at Psi Omega Psi's party!"

Oh, yeah. I forgot, Brent was the one cast as my romantic co-lead. He's a pretty cool guy, I guess.

"I still can't believe you got Juliet!" She shouts, leaning in so her lips brush my ear. I shiver and she grins smugly.  _Bitch_.

I chuckle, brushing it off. Cass is a flirt. That's how she is. "Come on, Professor Louty loves me! It was basically a guarantee!"

She smirks. "That's true! I'm just glad I got cast as the Nurse! She's the funniest character in the play!"

I smile at her and start to get into the music, letting the rhythm flow through me. It's been a long day. Since I don't have any classes on Fridays, Rob makes sure I work as many hours as I can. Which I do appreciate. I mean, I need all the money I can get. But damn, I can only handle so many bitchy, overtired, overstressed college students in one day. I almost regret not going back to work at the library again this year. Whatever, this pays better and Rob's a lot cooler than that bitch, Stacy.

Cassandra's back to her bumping and grinding, and I can't help but shake my head. We've been friends since we joined the company freshman year, so of course when she suggested renting an apartment together, I jumped on the chance. We're already so comfortable around each other that she's constantly flirting and draping herself over me like it's nothing. If she weren't my closest friend, I would've flipped this straight girl like a pancake by now. But living with her? It's like boundaries don't exist. She walks into the bathroom to brush her teeth while I'm peeing and slides into my bed when she's cold and changes in front of me without a care in the world. It feels like we're platonically married. I kind of love it.

I guess Cass realizes that I've zoned out because she starts pulling me again. "Cass, what the hell?! Where are we going?"

She grins devilishly, and I feel my stomach drop. I know that look all too well.

"Shots!"

* * *

Well. This isn't how I planned to spend my Friday night. I should've checked with Cass before she started forcing me shots, but it never occurred to me to ask how much she'd had to drink before I arrived. Now, here we are. She's sitting on a couch with her head in a box as I rub her back, driving the assholes away.

Yes, a box. A cardboard box from UPS, with a grocery bag inside so the puke won't leak through the cardboard. It was literally all I could think of. I'm not exactly straight right now myself.

_Ha. Straight._

_No, Emerson, focus! Your roommate is practically dying right next to you. Get her home._

"Cass. Hey, Cass." I poke her gently and she turns her head to look at me, still holding the box like it's her lifeline. "Can you stand?"

She groans. "No."

I sigh as my brows furrow. _Dammit, Cass, work with me here_. "Okay, I'll call a shuttle."

I go to stand, but she sniffles and reaches for me, head still in the box. "No. Don't go."

"Fine," I sigh. "I'll call from here. I hope they can hear me over this LOUD ASS music!" I raise my voice hoping someone will care to help me out, but they're all too busy groping each other on the dance floor. Fucking theater kids.

As I dial the number, Cass lets out another stream of bile before she begins dry heaving. I sigh in relief and hang up. Looks like she's just about done.

I go back to rubbing her back, and she slowly falls over and rests her head on my chest. "Sorry," she mumbles.

"Shh," I hush her, subtly pulling her face out of my cleavage. _Even on the verge of death._

"I just-"

"Shh!" I hold her head to me and start gently petting her hair. "Don't worry, Cass. That's what friends are for. Do you think you can stand if I help you?"

She nods. "Worth a shot. I think I'm done with this...box."

I take the box from her and set it on the ground. The frat daddy frats can clean that up. I sling her arm over my shoulder and stand, taking her with me. Or, try to anyway. In my concern, I seem to have forgotten the fact that I'd had enough shots to make my dad drunk. We fall back onto the couch, and Cass starts giggling. Giggling must be contagious, because before I know it, we're both holding our stomachs as we fullout laugh at nothing.

Someone clears their throat in front of us, and I open my eyes to see Adrian, the girl cast as my mother, standing in front of us.

"Hey, Emerson. I called you guys a shuttle. Doesn't look like you're gonna be able to walk all the way back to your apartment."

I smile. She's not wrong. "Aww, thanks, AJ! I'm just gonna head to the bathroom real quick."

She frowns, but I can't help it. I really need to pee. So much.

As I walk away, I swear I hear her mutter, "Where'd the J come from?" But that's just silly. Her middle name is Jelizabeth. The J is silent. Obviously.

Once my business is finished, I walk back out to AJ and Cass. With some maybe-more-than-minor assistance from my character's mother, we manage to get our asses in the shuttle and we're finally on our way back to our apartment.

About half-way through our trip, Cass pokes me in the cheek and whispers very loudly, "Hey. Wanna go to Taco Bell?" Of course I wanna fucking go to Taco Bell. I'm wasted.

As soon as I point out this fact, AJ tells the driver to make a detour and we're on our way to greasy, Mexican-American heaven.

"What the hell?!" I exclaim as we pull in. "Why the fuck is there a line this early?!"

Cass snorts. "It's Taco Bell." She says it as if that's a reason in itself, and in all honesty, it totally is. Taco Bell is the bomb.

After waiting for five-ever, we finally reach the ordering box thingy. The driver rolls his window down and I lean forward. Well, as much as I can without falling on my face.

"I WANT A CRUNCHWRAP!"

Cass and AJ are giggling in the backseat, so I turn to glare at them. "Shush. What do y'all want?"

Cass raises her eyebrow, and I realize I already know what she wants. She gets the same thing every time. AJ seems to be contemplating her order, though. _Please. No one ever changes their order at Taco Bell_.

Eventually, she shrugs. "I'll just have what you got."

I raise my eyebrow, but nod anyway.  _Is she a T-Bell virgin or something?_

"OKAY, I ALSO NEED A CHICKEN QUESADILLA AND ONE MORE CRUNCHWRAP! ACTUALLY, MAKE THAT TWO MORE! AND ONE LARGE MOUNTAIN DEW!"

The guy in the speakerbox tells us to pull forward, so we're back to waiting in line again.

"So," I turn to AJ in suspicion. "How do you not know your Taco Bell order by now?"

She scratches the back of her neck. "Ah, you see, well, um…"

"Are you a Taco Bell virgin?!" Cass shouts in her face.  _Come on, Cass. Be subtle._

AJ's head drops and I can't help but feel bad for her. "Yeah. I've never had it."

"Well," I say, in an effort to be a good friend, "You're gonna LOVE this fucking crunchwrap."

A few long minutes later, and we finally have our food. I immediately tear into my crunchwrap, moaning as the greasy goodness gushes into my mouth. Cass catches my eye as she takes a bite of her quesadilla and moans super provocatively, winking at me. I feel my body heat up and tear my eyes away.  _No. Bad, Emerson._

I shake my head and turn to AJ, who's about to take a bite of her crunchwrap. She looks at me nervously, but I just give her a nod that I hope is encouraging and she takes a bite. Her eyes shoot open so quickly it's almost comical, and she takes another bite before swallowing the first.  _Yes. Converted another one_. This just proves it. No one can resist Taco Bell.

Once we are all situated with our actual nectar of the gods, the driver starts heading back to our apartment once again.

"Hey, Em," Cass says around a mouthful of food. "Why are you still single?"

I freeze with the crunchwrap in front of my mouth. "Uh, what?"

She rolls her eyes, covering her mouth with her hand as she swallows before continuing. "Well, you haven't talked about anyone in a while. Hell, the last time you even  _mentioned_  being into someone was that time you got totally wasted at your birthday party over the summer, and all you said was, 'That chick makes me feel funny'!"

I shrug and take a bite. "Whatever. I dunno."

"Em," She sighs deploringly. "I'm just worried about you. I'm not saying you should force anything, just...promise me that if you meet someone that makes you feel things, you'll at least try and hit on them. Please? Being alone all the time isn't healthy."

"But I'm not alone! I have you!" I wink to show I'm kidding, but she's clearly unimpressed. Wow, she sobered up quickly. Must've been all the puking. "Fine, I promise."

She gives me a satisfied nod and returns to her food. I follow suit, and see that AJ has already started in on the extra crunchwrap.  _'Atta girl._

We, thankfully, make it to our apartment without any difficulties (if you don't include our inability to walk a straight line) and in no time at all, we're collapsing on my bed. I don't notice AJ leaving at any point along the way - I've only just realized she's disappeared. Huh. I look at the clock on my desk and see that it's already past four in the morning.

Thank Neptune I don't work Saturdays.


	3. III

**Ashton's P.O.V.**

There seems to be a theme in my life of rude wake up calls, because on early Sunday morning, I'm awoken by laughing and things falling off of desks. My eyes open to Kate, of course, stumbling in with Brad trailing behind her, his hands practically glued to her waist and ass. I groan as I see the items they've knocked over lying on the ground, because it's just my luck that it's my desk they bumped into instead of hers. The one good shred of luck is that none of the items were breakable. An almost empty water bottle, a few pens and pencils, and a notebook. Nothing major, I guess.

I get out of bed to pick the items up and to get dressed so I can leave. Preferably I would still be sleeping at this time and a few more hours after that, but I know what always follows Brad and Kate coming in together no matter what time of day it is. While they couldn't care less if I was in the room while they had sex, I like to be as far away as possible.

"Nice pajamas," Brad says, looking up and down my body with a perverted smirk. I huff and cross my arms over my barely-covered chest. I really should know by now to never sleep with just shorts and a tank top on, but I make that mistake fairly often.

"Fuck off," I say, opening the wardrobe to grab a change of clothes. I reach for a sweatshirt with the Penn State logo on it and a pair of shorts. Not being able to change in here, I grab the rest of my outfit and head into the bathroom that Kate and I share with the adjoining room. When I first got to Penn State, I thought that four girls sharing one bathroom might be a problem, but our classes ended up staggered enough that we all had different sleep and shower schedules last year, and this year hasn't been a problem either. My only problem is Kate and her fucking meathead boyfriend. Kate isn't too bad on her own, though I could live without her coming back to the dorm at all times of the night, but when she's with Brad I always feel the need to leave the room. He's a dick and his comments on my sexuality stopped being amusing the second they started, though he seems to get a kick out of making me feel uncomfortable. I swear his favorite thing to do is watch me get disgusted every time he offers a threesome with him and Kate.

After I've changed, I throw my hair up into a ponytail and go back into the dorm to grab my bag and phone. I ignore Brad's groans and Kate's high-pitched squeals as I leave the room again.

Outside the dormitory, I consider calling Adam to see if he wants to do something, but it's 6 a.m. and I know he wouldn't appreciate that at all. Besides, he mentioned having to work on a project for one of his classes all weekend.

I end up wandering far enough off campus to end up in the coffee shop Adam and I frequently stop at. There are a few people inside when I walk in, but not a whole lot. Not surprising for Sunday morning.

The bell on the door chimes when I walk in, and the girl behind the counter glances up at me briefly before looking back toward the customer in front of her. Her dark hair falls down over her face like a curtain when she leans down to grab a stack of napkins to replenish the napkin holder before taking my order. "Emerson!" someone from a back room calls, causing her to turn around. "We need you back here for a bit. Matt will take over up front."

The girl, Emerson, apparently, sighs and silently heads through a door into the room the voice came from. Shortly after, Matt comes out, giving me a polite smile as he says, "Sorry about that. I can take your order now if you're ready."

I order my usual vanilla latte and reflexively almost order Adam's drink as well, but then I remember that he's not here with me. He makes my latte quickly and I hand him the last few dollar bills in my wallet.

The table in the corner in front of the window where Adam and I always sit is currently taken, forcing me to take a seat elsewhere. The back table where I end up sitting receives a warm draft from the kitchen in the back of the shop where all the pastries are made.

I have to wait for my latte to cool off a little before I can actually drink it, so I pull a book I'm halfway through rereading out of my bag. It's Sense and Sensibility, and while I've read it three times already, it's the book my British Literature class has decided to start off the year with examining.

I'm thirty pages further in it when my phones rings, the loud sound contrasting with the quietness of the coffee shop. My cheeks turn red as I grab the device, silencing it by answering it.

"Hello?"

"Hey," Adam's voice says in my ear. "How good are you at translating Shakespeare?"

"Fairly good, I would say. Why?" I'm more than fairly good, and Adam already knows that. My father was reading Shakespeare to me as a bedtime story and by the time I reached high school and we were reading Hamlet, I knew the story like the back of my hand. The old language never caught me up, but it never failed to mesmerize me. There's a beauty to the writing that a lot of people seem to miss.

"Would you be interested in helping me modernize Romeo and Juliet for the theater performance?" he asks, hopefulness in his voice. I know without asking that doing this for him will take up more time than I have to give, but I also know that I can't say no to Adam. If he needs me, I'm his, and vice versa.

"Sure, why not?" _Because it will take up you're already lacking free time. Oh, and you'll probably have to deal with those idiots Adam calls his other friends._ But Adam silently beats out the voice in my head just like he always does.

"Thank you," he says, sighing in relief like he actually thought I would say no to him. "You're a lifesaver, you know that?"

"I've very aware of my status as the girl that's always saving your ass." It's half joking, half honesty.

"We need the script done so rehearsals can begin in two weeks. I'm only in charge of a couple scenes, though. Don't worry."

"Which ones?" I ask, hoping to hear at least one of my favorite scenes in the mix. I'm capable of doing any of it, but I would like to deal with the best ones so it's a little more fun for me.

"Uh, let me check. Hold on a sec," he says. There's the sound of rustling papers and muffled voices before Adam starts to list the scenes he's in charge of. "The opening before the first act officially starts. The 'in fair Verona' one, you know? Scene five when they're at the party and they kiss. Pilgrim's lips or whatever. Act two, scene two with the balcony- every girl's favorite, right? 'O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?'"

Adam's dramatic reading of arguably the most famous Shakespeare line makes me laugh and he pauses in his list of scenes to continue reading it to me as if he is Juliet. "'Deny thy father and refuse thy name! Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet.'"

It's quite obvious from the overdramatised reading that he is not and will never be an actor in one of these plays, but he has me laughing too loudly for coffee shop appropriate levels.

"You know, Ashton, 'that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet'," he says seriously.

"I have heard that once before," I say, mimicking his serious tone. "I've also heard that one should never swear by the moon, though I can't quite remember why. Do you, Adam?"

"You know, I must have missed that day in English class because I have never heard that before."

"Missed? You slept in class the entire three weeks we were reading Romeo and Juliet!" I remind him, remembering ninth grade English class together and the drool that puddled onto his desk for those few weeks. I was admittedly bored too, having read the play so many times that the frequent pauses in dialogue so the teacher could explain what was happening made me want to fall asleep myself. I probably would have, too, if I wasn't afraid that I would embarrass myself by talking in my sleep in front of the entire class. Luckily for Adam, he doesn't do anything embarrassing in his sleep except for drool. Although he did snore once in biology in the tenth grade.

"It was boring!" he defends. "The girl that was reading for Juliet was fucking dyslexic!"

"Oh my God, she was not dyslexic! She sucked at pronouncing things, yeah, but she could read just fine. And don't make fun of people with disabilities!"

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry, but it was still boring as hell. And the guy who played Romeo only volunteered for that part because he was literally in love with Juliet."

I laugh as I remember the awkward moments in class when the two exchanged the vows of everlasting love. Romeo seemed really into it, but Juliet was not having it at all.

"Is that all the scenes we have to modernize?" I ask, getting the topic back on track.

"What? Oh, right, yeah, that's it. It's not a lot, so I'm sure it will be an absolute breeze for a genius like you."

"Flattering will not get the job done any faster, just so you're aware," I tease.

"But will it get me a coffee before you come over to my dorm this morning?"

I roll my eyes at no one and say, "Probably, but only if you promise to buy next time."

"I promise."

"Fucking liar," I say. "But you'll get your coffee anyway because I am the better friend in this lopsided relationship."

"Thank you," he says, dragging out the words.

"I'll see you in about fifteen minutes," I tell him, shoving my copy of Sense and Sensibility back into my bag and standing up from the table. The wooden legs of the chair scrape against the floor as I tuck it in.

"I should probably put on some clothes then."

"Clothes would be nice, yes."

"Alright, see you in a few. I'll probably still be pantsless when you get here."

"I wouldn't expect anything else. Bye, Adam."

I'm laughing to myself as I hang up the phone, but anxiety at the job I've just signed up for replaces the lighthearted feeling Adam left me with. I wonder briefly if I'll end up having bitten off more than I can chew.


	4. IV

**Emerson's P.O.V**

I collapse on my bed with a sigh. The Sunday morning shift is the absolute worst thing that’s ever happened to me. You’d think it’d be an easy shift, but there are a surprising amount of churchgoers and general early birds on campus. I don’t know how they do it. Hell, my earliest class is at three in the afternoon!

As I lay there, cosied up in my duvet, my mind goes back to the beginning of my shift, before Matt sent me to work in the back near the kitchen with the pastries and junk. Some girl walked in, and she looked super tired. I don’t blame her - it was, like, six something in the morning on a Sunday.

* * *

_I glanced over as I was ringing up a customer, and it took everything I had to turn away. Blonde hair, green eyes, freckles...the way her sweatshirt hugs her body just right...damn. I was afraid to look at her again because I figured I’d be blushing, merely from the crude thoughts going through my head, so I reached down to fill the napkin dispenser._

_Cassandra’s words from Friday night rang through my head._

...I’m worried about you...

...Promise me….

...Please….

_I steeled my resolve as I finished with the napkins and was about to stand up and work my charm when Matt summoned me to the back._

_I organized the pastries and such for a while, beating myself up for not acting sooner. Just as I was finishing up and preparing to go relieve Matt from register duty, a phone went off on the other side of the counter._

_Curiosity has always been a weakness of mine, so I peaked through the danish display and saw the same girl talking on the phone, a Jane Austen novel and some kind of coffee sitting on the table in front of her. She was laughing really loudly, and I didn’t even realize I was smiling until I glanced down at the display glass and saw my reflection._

_Mentally hitting myself for creeping on this poor girl, I moved to stand up, when I heard her quote Romeo and Juliet._

_“I have heard that once before. I’ve also heard that one should never swear by the moon, though I can’t quite remember why.  Do you, Adam?”_

_Adam? Of course she’s straight. Dammit, Emerson, you’re smarter than this._

_I continued listening to the conversation, because honestly, I couldn’t get any creepier at this point. From what I heard the girl saying, apparently she was helping this guy_ , Adam, _modernize some scenes from the play._

I bit my lip as I debated what to do with this information. I couldn’t just swoop in. What if this Adam guy is her boyfriend? I shook my head at myself and walked back to the register.

* * *

I groan into my pillow. Of course, out of all the girls on campus, the one that happens to catch my eye is probably straight!

I shoot up. Shit. What if she shows up at rehearsals? She might have to if she’s helping with the script. What if I have to talk to her?

Before I know it, I’m reaching for my phone. Cassandra should be on her way back from her study group by now.

She picks up after three rings. “Hey, Em!”

“Cass,” _God, my voice sounds pathetic._ “I need help.”

“What’s wrong, hun?”

I sigh loudly into the receiver and flop backwards on my bed. “You know how I promised I’d at least try and make a move if a girl caught my eye?”

She squeals and I have to hold the phone away from my ear. “Oh my gosh, did you finally meet someone?!”

“Well, not exactly…” She goes silent. “Cass?”

“What do you mean...not...exactly?” Shit.

I clear my throat. “Well, see, I was at the register, and she was up next, but Matt made me switch stations before I could talk to her.”

She huffs. “That’s no excuse. You totally pussied out!”

“No, Cass, listen! I didn’t pussy out, okay?”

“Sure.”

“No, really!” I exclaim. “I was trying to figure out how to approach her, but when I was organizing the pastries, I, uh, overheard her talking on the phone. I think she’s straight, and I think she has a boyfriend.”

She snorts. “Overheard my ass. Anyway, is that why you called? ‘Cause your voice sounded pathetic.”

I sigh again. “No, that’s not all. Apparently, she and this guy, _Adam_ ,” I said the name with obvious distaste, “Are two of the people who are modernizing our script, so I might have to talk to her at some point! I couldn’t even look her in the eye, Cass! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO TALK TO HER IF I-”

“HEY!” She shouts, effectively cutting me off. “Chill! First of all, you have no way of knowing for sure that this guy’s her boyfriend, and you _definitely_ don’t know whether or not she’s straight. Just give it time, okay? Don’t force it.”  
  
“Cass, what do you mean don’t force it?”

“I _mean_ , don’t overthink this! Look, if she was at a _coffee shop_ at _Lord knows what time_ on a _Sunday_ morning, she’s probably a regular there. Make a point to always be the one taking her order whenever you see her. Slip in some subtle hints. See if she picks up on them. If she does, there’s a chance she’s not straight. If she comes in with this Adam guy, see if you can _overhear_ ,” She’s totally mocking me right now, “Anything that’ll prove whether or not they’re together. Be smart about this. Don’t jump to conclusions.”

I let out another deep sigh. “You’re right. But what about the fact that I’m never gonna be able to talk to her if I can’t look her in the eyes?”

“Start off easy, duh!” I can tell she’s rolling her eyes right now. “Start with the usual customer-cashier exchanges, then as you get more comfortable, slip in some small talk, and before you know it, boom! You’re back to your old charming self.”

I grin. “Thanks, Cass. Sorry for freaking. See you when you get back.”

She says goodbye and hangs up. I let out a stream of air and rub my face with my hands. _What the fuck is going on with me?_

It’s just one girl. I didn’t even talk to her! Why am I such a mess over her right now? I can’t even _remember_ the last time I was this hung up over a girl.

Shaking my head, I sit up and slip on my shoes. I need some air.

The cool  air hits me, but I'm unaffected. I grew up in New York - I can handle a little autumn breeze. I vaguely wonder if I should wait for Cassandra to get home, but I push the idea away. She's a little bitch when it comes to the cold because she grew up in Pensacola. I love her, but I don't need her whining right now.

I continue walking for a while, immersed in my thoughts, and soon find myself standing in the middle of the quad. Shrugging, I move to the big oak in front of me and sit against the trunk - perfect for thinking. The quad is swimming with people - perfect for people watching.

Ha! That chicks in Pjs. I feel you, hun.

_Why is the quad so busy on a Sunday? Where’s everyone going?_

Oh, that guy is such a douchebag! Damn frat boys…

_What was she doing up so early on a Sunday, anyway?_

Run, bitch, run!

_I wish I could’ve gotten her name…_

I let out a heavy sigh. This isn’t helping. Glancing at my phone, I see that half an hour has gone by since I left my apartment. _Better get back so Cass isn’t worried._

My walk back is brisk and uninterrupted, for the most part. There’s a moment when a blonde flashes in my peripheral, but I turn to look and she’s gone. _Meh, probably wasn’t her anyway._

Cass rushes to me the moment I set foot in the apartment. "You gave me a heart attack, girl!"

I shrug. "I needed some air."

"Why, are you okay?" She asks as she guides me to sit on our couch.

"I just, y'know, needed to clear my head."

She rubs my back. "Did it work?"

"No!" I huff, getting increasingly more aggravated. "Cass, I don't know what's wrong with me."

She rolls her eyes and I fight back a growl. "Are you really that blind?"

The growl escapes my throat. "What are you talking about?"

"Haven't you ever heard of love at first sight?"

It takes a beat for me to process what she's said, but when I do, I can't control the laughter that bellows from my mouth.

If there's one thing I _don't_ believe in, it's love. How could I? I've never once seen love work out in real life. When I was six, my mom left me alone with my dad so she could go off and be with some engineer she'd met when my dad was off on one of his infamous business trips. Apparently he was a lot better off than my dad. I haven't seen her since. My dad never met anyone else who stayed, and eventually he gave up. Even Cass is still getting over that Frank guy. You know why?

Love isn't real.

If it was, then why would people fall out of it so quickly? How can you go from loving someone with everything you are one day to suddenly hating them with the passion of a thousand burning suns the next? How can you go from giving someone all you can possibly give to praying they get torn down?

I call bullshit.

"Don't laugh!" Cass looks so insulted that I instead laugh even harder. "What else could it be, then, little miss cynical?"

I wipe my eyes as I try to compose myself. "Look, I don't know, ok? All i know is I literally can't get this girl out of my mind, and I don't even know her name. The blond hair, the piercing green eyes, the adorable freckles...they're fucking haunting me, Cass!" My head falls into my hands and my mood has suddenly gone back downhill.

She smirks and stands up, holding out her hand. "I know what will fix this."

Letting her pull me up, I grin. "Taco bell?"

"Taco bell."


End file.
